Studley Park House is a heritage-listed site in the Camden LGA, South-West Sydney, that is adjacent to remnant Cumberland Plain Woodland – a unique and Critically Endangered ecosystem. A planned hotel and apartment development will put this woodland and the Endangered Spiked-Rice flower at risk.

Development Application: 2019-886-01

The development:

-          A 2-storey hotel

-          Four apartment complexes of 2-4 storeys.

-          Basement carparks

-          Landscaping

 

What is at stake:

-          The Spiked Rice flower (Pimelea spicata) is listed as Endangered under both state and federal legislation. The development site and the adjoining, council-owned land support the largest remaining population of this species left in the world.

      

-          The Cumberland Plain Woodland is listed as a Critically Endangered Ecological Community under state and federal legislation. Since being listed as Critically Endangered, clearing of this type of woodland has INCREASED. According to the State of the Cumberland Plain Woodland Report 2017-2018, only 7.8% remained at the time of the report.

The development site and adjoining area support one of the best remnants of Cumberland Plain Woodland left anywhere.

 

-          Animals listed as Vulnerable observed using the site and adjoining woodland:

Ø  Little Lorikeet

Ø  Little Eagle

Ø  Eastern Falsistrelle

Ø  Large – footed Myotis

Ø  Eastern Bentwing Bat

Ø  East-coast Freetail Bat

Ø  Grey-Headed Flying Fox

-          Animals listed as Endangered in NSW observed using the site and adjoining woodland:

§  Cumberland Plain Land snail

The Impacts:

-          Direct removal of Spiked-rice flower. Development claims that plants will be retained in garden beds are superficial. This species does not survive in suburban contexts. There are NO known populations to have survived long-term in garden beds or in areas down-slope of residential developments.

-          The adjoining Cumberland Plain Woodland is a short distance down-slope of the development and impacts of changed water flows, sediment and nutrient-rich storm water run-off will be devastating and permanent.

 

-          The landscaping plans contain plants that are known weeds and pose a high risk of spreading into the adjoining Cumberland Plain Woodland. Exotic cultivars of native species will pose a risk to the genetic integrity of species in the Cumberland Plain Woodland.

 

-          Removal of hollow bearing trees and the removal and long-term degradation of foraging habitat due to weeds, sediment and run-off could impact the already vulnerable animals observed on the site and adjoining woodland.

 

Please help save these threatened species by signing this petition and letting Camden Council know what you think before public submissions close on February 14th 2020.

Development Application: 2019-886-01

Six million hectares of habitat burnt during the recent bush fires. These areas were home to at least 250 threatened species. More threatened plants have been affected than any other group by these fires. Let’s not add to this environmental catastrophe.